Who's been eating my tree?

[WirralBoy]

I have an approx 20 year old and 12 feet high Berberis tree in my garden.

Recently limbs have started to fall from it.

 

The limbs have holes running along the length of them.

These holes continue into the trunk of the tree.

 

The holes are up to 10mm dia.

There is no sign of grubs, bugs or any other wildlife inside the holes.

 

What might it be that is burrowing into my tree?

[daveatdave]

fungi witch one i do not kmow

[Graham]

Lesser Stag beetle larvae possibly but something else has killed it. Honey fungus?

[geoff]

The grub, likely as Graham said, is just breaking down the dead wood, after death of the limbs/ tree from another cause.

[nepia]

Berberis don't do well in wet conditions, which is exactly what we've had for a year. And if you're in the north west as your name suggests you will know about it more than most.

So my guess is that the tree's succumbed to the soil conditions and others - beetles - have begun the recycling process.

[WirralBoy]

Thanks folks.

 

I still don't know what is drilling its way through the tree but it appears to be falling apart very slowly.

I'll leave nature to do what it will and watch with interest to see just what occurs.